Lighter having safety device

ABSTRACT

A lighter includes a gas tank, a piezoelectric ignition device having a piezoelectric contact disposed in a housing, a hammer slidably received in the housing, an actuating member slidably received in the housing and depressible by a user to move and to selectively actuate the hammer to strike onto the piezoelectric contact and to generate sparks, a spring member is engaged between the actuating member and the hammer, a safety device is disposed close to the actuating member for being selectively depressed by the actuating member to resist the final movement of the actuating member and for preventing the lighter from being actuated or ignited by small children inadvertently.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lighter, and more particularly to apiezoelectric lighter including a greatly simplified structure orconfiguration for preventing the lighter from being actuated or ignitedby small children inadvertently.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical lighters comprise an actuating or igniting button slidablyattached to a body casing or housing for being depressed or actuated bythe users to actuate or to operate an igniting device of the lighter.The typical lighters may be easily depressed or actuated by smallchildren.

For preventing the lighters from being depressed or actuated by smallchildren inadvertently, various kinds of safety locking devices havebeen developed and provided for attaching to the body casing or housingand for engaging with the actuating or igniting button, in order toprevent the actuating or igniting button from being depressed oractuated or operated by small children inadvertently.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,751 to Lee discloses one of the typicallighters comprising a coil spring and a resilient member seriallyarranged inside an actuation button and arranged to resist actuationunless the coil spring is fully compressed.

However, both the coil spring and the resilient member are flexible andmay have a good chance to be distorted and thus may not be effectivelydepressed or actuated by the users. In addition, the typical lighterhave to provide a specifically designed receiving guider to receive thecoil spring and the resilient member, and the coil spring and theresilient member may not be attached to the other lighters.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,979,190 to Ichikawa et al. discloses another typicallighter also comprising a first elastic member to resist the movement ofthe manual actuator, and a second elastic member is further required andpositioned to also resist the movement of the manual actuator.

However, a specifically designed supporting or holder member and/or aspecifically designed actuation button is required to be provided tomold or to support the specifically designed cantilevered leaf springs,such that the cantilevered leaf springs and the holder member and theactuation button also may not be attached to the other lighters.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional safety devices for thelighters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide apiezoelectric lighter including a greatly simplified configurationhaving a safety device for preventing the lighter from being actuated orignited by small children inadvertently and for allowing the lighter tobe easily and quickly and readily made without changing theconfiguration or structure thereof.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided alighter comprising a gas tank including a chamber formed therein forstoring fuel gas, and including a compartment formed therein, a gassupply tube disposed in the chamber of the gas tank and including an endportion extended out of the gas tank for supplying the fuel gas out ofthe gas tank, a housing disposed in the compartment of the gas tank andhaving a space formed therein, a piezoelectric contact disposed in thehousing, a hammer slidably received in the space of the housing, anactuating member slidably received in the space of the housing anddepressible by a user to move to engage with the hammer and toselectively actuate the hammer to strike onto the piezoelectric contactand to generate sparks, a spring member engaged between the actuatingmember and the hammer for spacing the hammer from the actuating memberand for being selectively compressed by the actuating member, and asafety device disposed in the compartment of the gas tank and disposedclose to the actuating member for being selectively depressed by theactuating member. The actuating member is depressible and movablerelative to the hammer for a first moving distance to compress thespring member onto the hammer before contacting with the safety device,and then engageable with the safety device and depressible and movablerelative to the hammer for a second moving distance to compress thesafety device before actuating the hammer to strike onto thepiezoelectric contact.

The safety device includes a bore formed therein for slidably receivingthe actuating member. The actuating member includes an enlarged headprovided thereon for engaging with and for compressing the safetydevice.

A thumb-push cap may further be provided and slidably attached to thegas tank and may be engaged with the actuating member for depressing theactuating member against the spring member.

The housing includes at least one guide groove formed therein, thehammer includes at least one projection extended therefrom and slidablyreceived in the guide groove of the housing for guiding the hammer tostrike onto the piezoelectric contact.

The guide groove of the housing includes a lateral groove segment and avertical groove segment formed therein, the lateral groove segment ofthe housing receives and supports the projection the hammer when theactuating member compress the spring member onto the hammer.

The actuating member includes at least one inclined actuating grooveformed therein for slidably receiving the projection of the hammer andarranged for allowing the actuating member to be moved relative to thehammer and the housing before the actuating member is engaged with theprojection of the hammer.

A recovering spring may further be provided and received in the space ofthe housing and engaged with the hammer for spacing the hammer from thepiezoelectric contact.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a piezoelectric lighter in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating theoperation of the piezoelectric lighter;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view of the piezoelectric lighter;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the piezoelectric lightertaken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan schematic view illustrating a piezoelectric ignitiondevice of the piezoelectric lighter;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the piezoelectric ignition device of thepiezoelectric lighter;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view of the piezoelectric lightertaken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8, 9 are partial cross sectional views similar to FIG. 7,illustrating the operation of the piezoelectric lighter;

FIG. 10 is a plan schematic view illustrating the other arrangement ofthe piezoelectric lighter;

FIG. 11 is a plan schematic view illustrating the further arrangement ofthe piezoelectric lighter;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view similar to FIGS.7-9, illustrating the further application of the piezoelectric lighter;and

FIG. 13 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIGS. 7-9,illustrating the still further application of the piezoelectric lighter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a piezoelectriclighter in accordance with the present invention comprises a gas tank 10including a chamber 11 formed therein (FIG. 4) and defined by an outerperipheral wall 12 and/or an upper panel 13 for receiving or storingfuel gas such as butane gas inside the chamber 11 of the gas tank 10,and including a compartment 14 formed or provided therein, such asformed in one side of the upper portion 15 of the gas tank 10 andsealingly spaced from the chamber 11 of the gas tank 10 by the upperpanel 13 for receiving a piezoelectric ignition firing rod or device 20therein.

As shown in FIG. 4, a gas supply tube 16 is longitudinally or verticallydisposed within the chamber 11 of the gas tank 10 and includes one end,such as an upper portion or upper port 17 extended through the upperpanel 13 of the gas tank 10 and extended outward of the gas tank 10 forsupplying the fuel gas out of the gas tank 10. An actuator device 18 maybe attached or coupled to the upper portion 17 of the gas supply tube 16for controlling the gas to flow out of the gas supply tube 16. Forexample, the actuator device 18 may be coupled to the piezoelectricignition device 20 for being operated or actuated by the piezoelectricignition device 20. The above-described structure is typical and willnot be described in further details.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5-9, the piezoelectric ignition device 20includes a housing 21 disposed or secured in the compartment 14 of thegas tank 10 and having a space 22 formed therein, a piezoelectriccrystal or contact 23 disposed in the inner or bottom portion of thehousing 21 for generating striking sparks and coupled to an ignitingelectrode 24 which is directed toward the upper portion 17 of the gassupply tube 16 for supplying the sparks toward and to ignite the gasflowing out of the upper portion 17 of the gas supply tube 16. Thehousing 21 further includes one or more, such as two opposite L-shapedguide grooves 25 formed therein, each guide groove 25 includes a lateralor horizontal groove segment 26 and a vertical groove segment 27 formedtherein.

A hammer 30 is slidably received in the space 22 of the housing 21 andincludes one or more, such as two projections 31 extended outwardlytherefrom and slidably received in the guide grooves 25 of the housing21 respectively, a recovering spring member 32 may also be received inthe space 22 of the housing 21 and engaged between the housing 21 or thepiezoelectric contact 23 and the hammer 30 for suitably spacing thehammer 30 from the piezoelectric contact 23 for a predetermined distance“d”. In addition, the projections 31 of the hammer 30 may also beengaged with and supported in the lateral or horizontal groove segments26 of the guide grooves 25 of the housing 21 respectively for furtherstably supporting and spacing the hammer 30 from the piezoelectriccontact 23.

A casing or actuating member 33 is also slidably received in the space22 of the housing 21 and includes an enlarged head 34 formed or providedon top thereof for engaging with the housing 21 and for preventing theactuating member 33 from being completely engaged into the housing 21,or for limiting the actuating member 33 to move relative to the housing21. The actuating member 33 further includes one or more, such as twoopposite oblong or inclined actuating means or grooves 35 formed therein(FIG. 3) for slidably receiving the projections 31 of the hammer 30 andfor allowing the actuating member 33 to be moved relative to the hammer30 and the housing 21 before the actuating member 33 is moved to becontacted or engaged with the projections 31 of the hammer 30.

Another spring member 36 may be engaged between the actuating member 33and the hammer 30 for suitably spacing the hammer 30 from the actuatingmember 33, and for being compressed or depressed by the actuating member33, and the compressed spring member 36 may bias or force the hammer 30to hit or to strike onto or against the piezoelectric contact 23 whenthe projections 31 of the hammer 30 are relatively moved toward theupper portion of the inclined actuating grooves 35 of the actuatingmember 33 and when the projections 31 of the hammer 30 are movedlaterally or sidewise toward the vertical groove segments 27 of theguide grooves 25 of the housing 21 respectively by the actuating member33. A thumb-push cap 37 may be slidably attached to the gas tank 10 andengaged with the actuating member 33 for depressing the actuating member33 against the spring member 36.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 7, before actuating or operating, thehammer 30 may be spaced from the piezoelectric contact 23 by the springmember 32 and/or by the engagement of the projections 31 of the hammer30 in the lateral or horizontal groove segments 26 of the guide grooves25 of the housing 21 respectively, and the head 34 of the actuatingmember 33 may also be spaced from the hammer 30 by the other springmember 36. When the cap 37 and the actuating member 33 are depressed andmoved relative to the gas tank 10 and the housing 21 against the springmember 36 (FIG. 8), the spring member 36 may be compressed or depressedby the actuating member 33 to accumulate a spring biasing or strikingforce.

When the actuating member 33 is further compressed or depressed towardthe housing 21 and engaged with the projections 31 of the hammer 30, theactuating member 33 may move the projections 31 of the hammer 30laterally or sidewise toward the vertical groove segments 27 of theguide grooves 25 respectively, and the compressed spring member 36 maythen bias or force the hammer 30 to hit or to strike onto thepiezoelectric contact 23 (FIG. 9) in order to generate striking sparksand to supply the striking sparks to the igniting electrode 24 and thusto ignite the gas flowing out of the upper portion 17 of the gas supplytube 16.

The piezoelectric lighter in accordance with the present invention is tofurther provide a safety means or device 40 disposed in the compartment14 of the gas tank 10 and disposed or located close to the actuatingmember 33 and made of soft or resilient rubber materials or syntheticmaterials for resisting the final movement of the actuating member 33relative to the gas tank 10 and the housing 21 before the actuatingmember 33 is forced to engage with and to move the projections 31 of thehammer 30 laterally or sidewise toward the vertical groove segments 27of the guide grooves 25 respectively. The final movement of theactuating member 33 before engaging with and moving the projections 31of the hammer 30 laterally or sidewise is preferably designed orarranged for about 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 1-9, the safety device 40 includes a loop orperipheral structure having a bore 41 formed therein for slidablyreceiving the actuating member 33 or for allowing the actuating member33 to be slidably engaged into the bore 41 of the safety device 40. Thesafety device 40 may be engaged with or positioned on the upper portion15 of the gas tank 10 and arranged for being engaged with and compressedor depressed by the head 34 of the actuating member 33. It is to benoted that, without the safety device 40, the actuating member 33 mayalso be compressed or depressed to actuate the hammer 30 to hit orstrike onto or against the piezoelectric contact 23.

The safety device 40 in accordance with the present invention may thusbe easily engaged onto various typical piezoelectric lighters forresisting the final movement of the actuating member 33 of thepiezoelectric ignition firing rod or device 20 without changing theconfiguration of the typical piezoelectric lighters. It is to be notedthat the actuating member 33 may first be depressed and moved relativeto the hammer 30 for a first moving distance or stroke and will compressthe spring member 36 onto the hammer 30 before contacting with thesafety device 40, and may then be engaged with the safety device 40 andmoved relative to the hammer 30 for a second moving distance or stroketo compress the safety device 40 before engaging with and moving theprojections 31 of the hammer 30 laterally or sidewise. The safety device40 may be provided for resisting the final movement of the actuatingmember 33 and for preventing the lighter from being actuated or ignitedby small children inadvertently.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the safety device 40 may also bedisposed or engaged in the lower portion of the actuating member 33 forbeing depressed or actuated by the actuating member 33. As shown in FIG.11, the safety device 40 may also be disposed or engaged in the lowerportion of the actuating member 33 of a lighting rod or lighting gun. Asshown in FIG. 12, the safety device 40 may also be disposed or engagedin the compartment 14 of the gas tank 10 and arranged for beingdepressed or actuated by the thumb-push cap 37.

As shown in FIG. 13, the piezoelectric ignition device 20 may include apiezoelectric crystal or contact 50 disposed in a casing 5 1, a hammer52 slidably disposed in a container 53 and/or engaged with a springmember 54, and another spring member 55 engaged between thepiezoelectric crystal or contact 50 or the casing 51 and the hammer 52or the container 53 for allowing the hammer 52 to be biased to strikeonto the piezoelectric crystal or contact 50 when the casing 51 isdepressed against the spring member 55.

Accordingly, the piezoelectric lighter in accordance with the presentinvention includes a greatly simplified configuration having a safetydevice for preventing the lighter from being actuated or ignited bysmall children inadvertently and for allowing the lighter to be easilyand quickly and readily made without changing the configuration orstructure thereof.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A lighter comprising: a gas tank including a chamber formed thereinfor storing fuel gas, and including a compartment formed therein, a gassupply tube disposed in said chamber of said gas tank and including anend portion extended out of said gas tank for supplying the fuel gas outof said gas tank, a housing disposed in said compartment of said gastank and having a space formed therein, a piezoelectric contact disposedin said housing, a hammer slidably received in said space of saidhousing, an actuating member slidably received in said space of saidhousing and depressible by a user to move and to engage with said hammerand to selectively actuate said hammer to strike onto said piezoelectriccontact and to generate sparks, a spring member engaged between saidactuating member and said hammer for spacing said hammer from saidactuating member and for being selectively compressed by said actuatingmember, and a safety device disposed in said compartment of said gastank and disposed close to said actuating member for being selectivelydepressed by said actuating member, and said actuating member beingdepressible and movable relative to said hammer for a first movingdistance to compress said spring member onto said hammer beforecontacting with said safety device, and then engageable with said safetydevice and depressible and movable relative to said hammer for a secondmoving distance to compress said safety device before actuating saidhammer to strike onto said piezoelectric contact.
 2. The lighter asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said safety device includes a bore formedtherein for slidably receiving said actuating member.
 3. The lighter asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said actuating member includes an enlargedhead provided thereon for engaging with and for compressing said safetydevice.
 4. The lighter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thumb-push capis slidably attached to said gas tank and engaged with said actuatingmember for depressing said actuating member against said spring member.5. The lighter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes atleast one guide groove formed therein, said hammer includes at least oneprojection extended therefrom and slidably received in said at least oneguide groove of said housing for guiding said hammer to strike onto saidpiezoelectric contact.
 6. The lighter as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid at least one guide groove of said housing includes a lateral groovesegment and a vertical groove segment formed therein, said lateralgroove segment of said housing receives and supports said at least oneprojection said hammer when said actuating member compress said springmember onto said hammer.
 7. The lighter as claimed in claim 5, whereinsaid actuating member includes at least one inclined actuating grooveformed therein for slidably receiving said at least one projection ofsaid hammer and arranged for allowing said actuating member to be movedrelative to said hammer and said housing before said actuating member isengaged with said at least one projection of said hammer.
 8. The lighteras claimed in claim 1, wherein a recovering spring is received in saidspace of said housing and engaged with said hammer for spacing saidhammer from said piezoelectric contact.